Beneath a Moonless Sky
by DamWaters
Summary: An encounter at the top of the ruined astronomy tower after the war leads Harry to open his heart to someone he barely knows. Sensing his need for comfort, a young professor guides a hero from the greatest danger he has ever faced. Himself. Harry/Aurora pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Sorry to disappoint, but I am not Joanne Rowling, so these characters don't belong to me and unfortunately I can't make money off of them. A shame, really.

 **AN:** _This story was written because I needed a break from my other fic. I'm actually a bit peeved (haha... puns) that this story was easier to write than the other, but maybe I can just claim it's because I'm a better writer now. Anyway, enjoy... or don't. Really that's up to you._

* * *

Harry's feet swung back and forth at the ruined edge of the astronomy tower. The rebuilding after the final battle had taken longer than expected, but now only the tower itself showed any signs of damage.

It was fitting, Harry thought. He had petitioned to have the tower left as a memorial, now that Dumbledore's tomb had been vandalized. He wanted it to remain in ruins, as a testament to the lives lost. Harry would not let them be forgotten. He had died for them, and they for him, but he was here, and they were not. It was his duty to honor them.

It was nearing midnight, so Harry was surprised to hear the soft patter of footfalls behind him. He stood and turned to meet the new arrival, his wand already in hand. In the months following Voldemort's defeat, no less than ten attempts had been made on his life, and he wasn't taking chances. Dying didn't hurt, really, but that didn't mean he was eager for a repeat performance.

His surprise only increased when he recognized who it was approaching him. His former astronomy professor, Aurora Sinistra. Harry had dropped the subject after his fifth year, and had had very little interaction with the woman who now stood before him. She was slender, but athletic, and Harry couldn't help but admire the way she looked in the starlight.

The fact that he had been focused almost entirely on Cho Chang from the moment he reached puberty until he eventually moved on to Ginny left him with no doubt how he had missed the obvious attraction of his elegant professor. A mistake to be sure.

"Nice to see you again, Professor," Harry said in greeting.

He received a smile in response. "There's no need for that, Harry. I haven't been your professor in more than two years. I expect being the hero of the wizarding world gives you the right to call me Aurora." Her tone was teasing, since it was evident to most that Harry's fame was unwanted. Harry nodded in agreement anyway.

"Then it's nice to see you again, Aurora. What brings you here at this hour?"

"The stars. You can't see them during the day, you know."

This time the lilt in her voice was more pronounced and Harry found himself grinning in response. It had been some time since he had any conversation not centered around recent events. It was refreshing. That such a conversation was happening with a beautiful witch in the middle of the night was certainly a bonus.

Harry had spent much of his time coming to terms with all that had happened, and found himself unwilling to reenter a relationship with Ginny. He had loved her, and likely always would, but he was far too changed to be happy with her. It was with that in mind that Harry allowed himself to flirt with the woman still smiling at him.

"Im sure the stars look lovely, but I've found something better to look at tonight."

Aurora felt the heat rise to her cheeks and was thankful to the lack of light for hiding her blush. In truth she was attracted to Harry, but professionalism had stopped her from acting on her feelings before the war. The whole world knew that Harry was available, and she couldn't help herself as she took a step toward him.

"It's a new moon, Harry. I sincerely doubt you can see clearly."

"You're right. I can't. I guess it helps that I already know how pretty you are, then." He got a nervous laugh in reply.

"You're awfully bold tonight, Harry." She paused. "I think I rather like that," she finished softly.

Harry wasn't as oblivious as he had been in the past, so he was well aware of the direction this conversation was headed. He offered his hand to Aurora, and she took it shyly, allowing Harry to guide her to where he had been sitting before she arrived.

"This is the reason I came up here," she whispered, gesturing to their view of the grounds. She used her free hand, as the other was still held in Harry's, something she had no intention of changing.

"It's why I came here too, aside from the obvious."

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze for comfort, but didn't say a word. She knew what this tower meant to him. Even before the battle, this place had been changed forever by the death of Dumbledore.

Any who saw the pair of them would be shocked to see their stoic hero drawing comfort from the young woman beside him, but that was exactly why Harry was pleased. This was something he didn't know he had needed, and Aurora was giving it to him. Not as the Man-Who-Conquered, as they were calling him now, but as Harry. Just Harry.

He raised Aurora's hand to his lips, and kissed it softly.

"Thank you," he sighed.

Aurora's breath had caught in her throat at the contact, and it took her a moment to clear her head.

"What for?"

He squeezed her hand as she had done. "For this."

Aurora shuffled closer to Harry, and before she could second guess herself, she leaned her head on his shoulder. He didn't seem to mind, so she let out a contented sigh. "You're welcome."

He softly kissed her head, and she hummed contentedly. She had only spoken to Harry a few times outside of class, and what she had learned about him in those moments had cemented her affections. Even so, she never would have believed she'd be snuggled into his side on a warm night in July. _Oh..._

"Happy Birthday, Harry."

Harry smiled. Of course everyone seemed to know his birthday, but there was something sweet about the way she had said it, and as the clock tower rested at a minute before midnight, he reflected on his day.

"It is now," he said, and pulled her closer to his chest.

Harry was surprised at his own actions. Aurora was just so easy to be with. A year on the run followed by pitched battle had worn him down so much that some days he could do nothing to stop the memories from overwhelming him. He had lost so much, and there were times he very nearly gave up. He had visited the Veil in the Department of Mysteries and heard the whispers of his loved ones. He had almost stepped through. But here, in the highest tower, with a woman he barely knew, he felt all of that fade for the first time.

He removed his hand from Aurora's and he could almost sense her disappointment. That disappointment turned to shock as Harry lifted her chin and kissed her softly on the lips. The clock struck midnight as the seventh month died beneath a moonless sky.

* * *

 **AN:** _So this was actually meant to be a smutty one-shot, but I sort of fell in love with the pairing and somehow the beginnings of a fluffy plot got written instead. I blame the fact that I was listening to romantic piano music. This could probably be left as is, but I may return to it at some point as I focus on my other story, Harry Potter and the Call of Magic. Let me know what you think of it and whether or not I should turn this into a full story._

 _Cheers,_

 _DamWaters_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter. Shocking, I'm sure.

 **AN:** _Since a number of readers wanted this to become a longer story, I was only too happy to oblige. I love this pairing, and now they are my babies. Enjoy!_

* * *

Harry awoke with the young professor still wrapped snugly in his arms. The night before had been one of tender intimacy, never resulting in more than a few lingering kisses as the conversation lulled. That actually pleased Harry, whose mood was considerably brighter than it had been before Aurora arrived. The alternative would have made for a much more complicated (and given the cold stone, likely far less comfortable) start to an undoubtedly meaningful connection. He knew that the world waiting for them below would bring its own challenges, and he was wise enough to admit that his night with Aurora should be kept secret for now, but up here in the tower, he could afford to push those thoughts aside for a while longer.

As Aurora stirred, Harry was forced from his reflecting. An elbow suddenly colliding with his jaw was an unexpected start to his day, and he quickly fought down the tears that formed in his eyes at the pain.

"Oh my goodness! Harry? I'm so so sorry!" Soft hands reached Harry's face, which, though more pleasant than the sudden attack, still caused him to wince at the touch.

If Aurora had ever been well and truly embarrassed, it was now. Her faced burned red with humiliation as she tried desperately to apologize. The pain in her arm was enough to assure her that she had just done far worse to the young man she had spent a wonderfully romantic night with. Small huffs came from Harry, and it sounded like he was crying. _Oh shit... now i've gone and buggered everything for sure,_ she thought miserably. It took another moment to realize that Harry was laughing. Scratch that. Harry was roaring with laughter.

"You should see your face" He cackled, pointing in her general direction as he stood.

He held out his hand to her and started laughing again at her bewildered expression. He couldn't help himself. The night they shared was so entirely opposite the way the morning started that Harry found the whole situation extremely amusing, if painful.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I've felt worse, just give me a bit of warning next time."

Aurora took his hand and pulled herself up, still blushing madly. Seeing that Harry was actually okay settled her, but she was still unsure what last night meant for them going forward. She wasn't entirely sure she even knew what she _wanted_ it to mean. Aurora knew as well as Harry did that their midnight kiss had separated yesterday and today in more ways than one, but she was scared of what a relationship with him could mean, if that's even what he wanted. It was one thing to harbor a crush on Harry, it was another thing entirely to be seen with him. She was, as expected, not at all familiar with the spotlight he had stood in since he entered Hogwarts.

Harry didn't let go of her hand after she rose somewhat ungracefully from the stone floor. It was clear that neither one of them wanted to venture outside their newly formed bubble of privacy, but both had obligations below, and it wouldn't do to be found together by someone coming to check the tower. Regardless, they moved closer to the edge of the tower to see the changes daylight had brought to the grounds. Both would have said they preferred the beauty of the night, but the landscape was still undoubtedly breathtaking in the early morning light.

It was Aurora who finally broke the silence.

"I think we should forget about this." The night with Harry had been brilliant, but he was still out of her league, and she knew it. Better to end things now, before she got in over her head. She let go of his hand.

Harry, for his part, looked hurt by that. Hurt, and then very, very angry. It was something few knew about Harry, but his anger was cold as ice. Years ago, when Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire, several of the more perceptive students had mentioned that they felt the temperature in the room drop, only they believed it was more a phenomenon of the collective mood rather than an actual magical effect. The truth was that Harry had been livid that night, and with power unknown even to him, he had chilled the room quicker than a dementor could hope to.

"Why?" Harry asked without emotion. His laughter from moments ago was now entirely forgotten.

"I just can't, Harry. I don't think I could handle it. Last night was one thing but any more and I'd..."

"It's fine," Harry cut her off. "I understand. I apologize for last night. I had no intention of being a burden, Professor." He left the tower, feeling somehow worse than he had on his way up. His anger was directed only partly at the witch he left behind, and mostly at himself for being so stupid. Last night had been too good to be true, and apparently he had already scared her off with what he had revealed. Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts as he made his way through the castle to the grounds. He was back in the real world now, and he was the Man-Who-Conquered. Harry knew his place here, but heroes shouldn't feel as he did.

* * *

Aurora Sinistra stood exactly where Harry had left her, too shocked by his reaction to think about chasing after him. It was blindingly obvious that she had misspoken, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out how. She had felt the cold hit her after letting go of his hand, but like many before her, she didn't make the connection in time to change the answer to his simple question. And only now did she realize what that must have felt like to Harry. He thought she didn't want him. Harry believed she had rejected him for being vulnerable.

Aurora was pretty sure today couldn't get any worse. As she looked down at a sudden light from below, she changed her mind. Things could absolutely get worse. The screams didn't reach her for another few seconds.

* * *

Harry had never truly mastered Occlumency. When Voldemort stopped bothering him after the fiasco at the Department of Mysteries, it seemed relatively unimportant. When Voldemort was finally killed, that insignificance only seemed to increase. The downside of foregoing his Occlumency practice was that he found it challenging to organize his thoughts. The downside of unorganized thoughts was how distracted he could become. The real pisser here was that the downside of being distracted was that Harry Potter didn't see the bright red light of the Cruciatus curse until it was far too late to avoid it.

* * *

 **AN:** _Should I be sorry for the cliffhanger?_

 _Probably._

 _Am I?_

 _Ha! No._

 _Cheers,_

 _DamWaters_


	3. Chapter 3

Harry had been hit by far more painful torture curses than the one just leveled against him, but at least in those moments he had been relatively prepared for it. Whoever had just hit him was certainly not Voldemort, but the spell itself was designed to cause crippling pain, and even a moderately successful attempt hurt like hell. More importantly, the torture curse had the unfortunate side effect of causing Harry to lose his wand, something he had not been without since the day he repaired it after the Battle of Hogwarts.

Blinking to clear his vision, Harry could just make out the outline of his attacker, and his ability to recognize the face did little to soothe his burning nerves.

"Bit early for Unforgiveables, Isn't it?"

The hooded figure replied through muffled chuckles. "Whatever happened to constant vigilance, Potter? One spell! One goddamn spell and you fall on your knees like a sinner in church. If the Dark Lord hadn't been such a little shit, maybe he could have kicked your arse the way I've done. Welcome back to the real world, hero. Time to see what your made of."

Though the castle had been repaired, the wards had not, and as the scarred wizard activated a portkey, the pair passed unmolested to parts unknown.

* * *

Harry appeared in a familiar alley, just a short walk from where he knew Number 12 Grimmauld Place stood. He looked at Alastor Moody in shock as he lowered his hood.

"You're dead!"

"Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Riddle was using a poorly matched wand that night. Scared the shit out of me and I took a dive, but the curse never reached me." He was wearing an eye patch over the gap that usually held his magically augmented "mad eye."

"No offense, but what the hell was that for? The Cruciatus?" Harry was satisfied that this was in fact the supposedly dead Alastor Moody. "Dive" was one of the codewords the old auror had set with Harry. The legendary paranoia of Mad-Eye had only increased after his impersonation by Crouch in Harry's fourth year.

"You were distracted. By what I don't particularly care. You won't learn your lessons the easy way, Potter. There are still plenty out there who want you dead."

"As much as I want to argue the choice of spell, I won't, but abducting me seems pretty extreme."

Moody led Harry to the dining room, where six wizards in Deatheater regalia were slumped unconscious around the table.

"I walked in on them. Didn't realize the Fidelius had been compromised. Took 'em by surprise, lucky for me. Can you guess what they were doing here, aside from eating your food?"

"I could guess."

The signs all added up to what Harry had assumed was an attempt on his life. The timing would have been fitting, really. To kill Harry just as the reconstruction of Hogwarts finished, and the day after his birthday, would send a clear message: the war had not yet ended.

A chill ran down Harry's spine as he realized just how lucky he was to be alive. Moody was right. He wouldn't have stood a chance. He had been too distracted. Thinking back on the reason, Harry felt an ache in his chest. At least he knew it wouldn't happen again. Wasn't the danger he attracted the reason he had left Ginny? Vulnerability was no longer an option. The Man-Who-Conquered couldn't afford it.

"So what's the plan?"

"We train you up and hope you don't die."

Harry chuckled despite the seriousness of the conversation. "Bit late for that, really." He ignored Moody's lifted brow. All would be discused in time. He had a feeling he would be around for a while.

* * *

Back at Hogwarts, the first responders were arriving, wands out on arrival. Aurora had not been the only witness to the morning's events, and someone had clearly alerted the authorities. As the last unauthorized portkey from Hogwarts had coincided with the return of Voldemort, no chances were being taken. The Minister himself had appeared, surrounded by his security detail. When a scan of the grounds turned up an abandoned wand, Kingsley Shacklebolt nearly collapsed.

"Minister!" Someone shouted.

He shook his head slowly. The news would spread in minutes. "The wand. It's Potter's."

Kingsley's familiarity with Harry was well-known. Nobody dared hoped he was mistaken. Half a dozen Patronus messengers appeared to carry the word to various important figures. Harry Potter was missing.

Sprinting across the grounds was the last person to see him, the lovely Aurora Sinistra.

* * *

 **A/N:** _I apologize for the brevity of this chapter, but a lot of the details in the first few drafts seemed too dense, and probably would have opened up plot holes too big to fill. I've been playing around with different characters to be the one involved, and only Moody made any sense. Let me know what you think._

 _Cheers,_

 _DamWaters_


End file.
